THE　COMPARISON　OF　DEMOSTHENES　AND　CICERO
  by　Plutarch
  translated　by　John　Dryden
  THESE　are　the　most　memorable　circumstances　recorded　in　history　of
  Demosthenes　and　Cicero　which　have　come　to　our　knowledge。　But
  omitting　an　exact　comparison　of　their　respective　faculties　in
  speaking；　yet　thus　much　seems　fit　to　be　said；　that　Demosthenes；　to
  make　himself　a　master　in　rhetoric；　applied　all　the　faculties　he　had；
  natural　or　acquired；　wholly　that　way　that　he　far　surpassed　in　force
  and　strength　of　eloquence　all　his　contemporaries　in　political　and
  judicial　speaking；　in　grandeur　and　majesty　all　the　panegyrical
  orators；　and　in　accuracy　and　science　all　the　logicians　and
  rhetoricians　of　his　day；　that　Cicero　was　highly　educated；　and　by　his
  diligent　study　became　a　most　accomplished　general　scholar　in　all　these
  branches；　having　left　behind　him　numerous　philosophical　treatises　of
  his　own　on　Academic　principles　as；　indeed；　even　in　his　written
  speeches；　both　political　and　judicial；　we　see　him　continually　trying
  to　show　his　learning　by　the　way。　And　one　may　discover　the　different
  temper　of　each　of　them　in　their　speeches。　For　Demosthenes's　oratory
  was　without　all　embellishment　and　jesting；　wholly　composed　for　real
  effect　and　seriousness；　not　smelling　of　the　lamp；　as　Pytheas
  scoffingly　said；　but　of　the　temperance；　thoughtfulness；　austerity；　and
  grave　earnestness　of　his　temper。　Whereas　Cicero's　love　of　mockery
  often　ran　him　into　scurrility；　and　in　his　love　of　laughing　away
  serious　arguments　in　judicial　cases　by　jests　and　facetious　remarks；
  with　a　view　to　the　advantage　of　his　clients；　he　paid　too　little　regard
  to　what　was　decent：　saying；　for　example；　in　his　defence　of　Caelius；
  that　he　had　done　no　absurd　thing　in　such　plenty　and　affluence　to
  indulge　himself　in　pleasures；　it　being　a　kind　of　madness　not　to
  enjoy　the　things　we　possess；　especially　since　the　most　eminent
  philosophers　have　asserted　pleasures　to　be　the　chiefest　good。　So
  also　we　are　told　that　when　Cicero；　being　consul；　undertook　the　defence
  of　Murena　against　Cato's　prosecution；　by　way　of　bantering　Cato；　he
  made　a　long　series　of　jokes　upon　the　absurd　paradoxes；　as　they　are
  called；　of　the　Stoic　set；　so　that　a　loud　laughter　passing　from　the
  crowd　to　the　judges；　Cato；　with　a　quiet　smile；　said　to　those　that
  sat　next　him；　〃My　friends；　what　an　amusing　consul　we　have。〃
  And；　indeed；　Cicero　was　by　natural　temper　very　much　disposed　to
  mirth　and　pleasantry；　and　always　appeared　with　a　smiling　and　serene
  countenance。　But　Demosthenes　had　constant　care　and　thoughtfulness　in
  his　look；　and　a　serious　anxiety；　which　he　seldom；　if　ever；　laid　aside；
  and　therefore；　was　accounted　by　his　enemies；　as　he　himself
  confessed；　morose　and　ill…mannered。
  Also；　it　is　very　evident；　out　of　their　several　writings；　that
  Demosthenes　never　touched　upon　his　own　praises　but　decently　and
  without　offence　when　there　was　need　of　it　and　for　some　weightier
  end；　but　upon　other　occasions　modestly　and　sparingly。　But　Cicero's
  immeasurable　boasting　of　himself　in　his　orations　argues　him　guilty
  of　an　uncontrollable　appetite　for　distinction；　his　cry　being
  evermore　that　arms　should　give　place　to　the　gown；　and　the　soldier's
  laurel　to　the　tongue。　And　at　last　we　find　him　extolling　not　only　his
  deeds　and　actions；　but　his　orations　also；　as　well　those　that　were　only
  spoken；　as　those　that　were　published；　as　if　he　were　engaged　in　a
  boyish　trial　of　skill；　who　should　speak　best；　with　the　rhetoricians；
  Isocrates　and　Anaximenes；　not　as　one　who　could　claim　the　task　to　guide
  and　instruct　the　Roman　nation；　the…
  〃Soldier　full…armed；　terrific　to　the　foe。〃
  It　is　necessary；　indeed；　for　a　political　leader　to　be　an　able
  speaker；　but　it　is　an　ignoble　thing　for　any　man　to　admire　and　relish
  the　glory　of　his　own　eloquence。　And；　in　this　matter；　Demosthenes　had　a
  more　than　ordinary　gravity　and　magnificence　of　mind；　accounting　his
  talent　in　speaking　nothing　more　than　a　mere　accomplishment　and
  matter　of　practice；　the　success　of　which　must　depend　greatly　on　the
  good…will　and　candour　of　his　hearers；　and　regarding　those　who　pride
  themselves　on　such　accounts　to　be　men　of　a　low　and　petty　disposition。
  The　power　of　persuading　and　governing　the　people　did；　indeed；
  equally　belong　to　both；　so　that　those　who　had　armies　and　camps　at
  command　stood　in　need　of　their　assistance；　as　Charas；　Diopithes；　and
  Leosthenes　of　Demosthenes's；　Pompey　and　young　Caesar　of　Cicero's；　as
  the　latter　himself　admits　in　his　Memoirs　addressed　to　Agrippa　and
  Maecenas。　But　what　are　thought　and　commonly　said　most　to　demonstrate
  and　try　the　tempers　of　men；　namely；　authority　and　place；　by　moving
  every　passion；　and　discovering　every　frailty；　these　are　things　which
  Demosthenes　never　received；　nor　was　he　ever　in　a　position　to　give　such
  proof　of　himself；　having　never　obtained　any　eminent　office；　nor　led
  any　of　those　armies　into　the　field　against　Philip　which　he　raised　by
  his　eloquence。　Cicero；　on　the　other　hand；　was　sent　quaestor　into
  Sicily；　and　proconsul　into　Cilicia　and　Cappadocia；　at　a　time　when
  avarice　was　at　the　height；　and　the　commanders　and　governors　who　were
  employed　abroad；　as　though　they　thought　it　a　mean　thing　to　steal；
  set　themselves　to　seize　by　open　force；　so　that　it　seemed　no　heinous
  matter　to　take　bribes；　but　he　that　did　it　most　moderately　was　in
  good　esteem。　And　yet　he；　at　this　time；　gave　the　most　abundant　proofs
  alike　of　his　contempt　of　riches　and　of　his　humanity　and　good…nature。
  And　at　Rome；　when　he　was　created　consul　in　name；　but　indeed　received
  sovereign　and　dictatorial　authority　against　Catiline　and　his
  conspirators；　he　attested　the　truth　of　Plato's　prediction；　that　then
  the　miseries　of　states　would　be　at　an　end　when；　by　a　happy　fortune；
  supreme　power；　wisdom；　and　justice　should　be　united　in　one。
  It　is　said；　to　the　reproach　of　Demosthenes；　that　his　eloquence　was
  mercenary　that　he　privately　made　orations　for　Phormion　and
  Apollodorus；　though　adversaries　in　the　same　cause；　that　he　was　charged
  with　moneys　received　from　the　King　of　Persia；　and　condemned　for　bribes
  from　Harpalus。　And　should　we　grant　that　all　those　（and　they　are　not
  few）　who　have　made　these　statements　against　him　have　spoken　what　is
  untrue；　yet　that　Demosthenes　was　not　the　character　to　look　without
  desire　on　the　presents　offered　him　out　of　respect　and　gratitude　by
  royal　persons；　and　that　one　who　lent　money　on　maritime　usury　was
  likely　to　be　thus　indifferent；　is　what　we　cannot　assert。　But　that
  Cicero　refused；　from　the　Sicilians　when　he　was　quaestor；　from　the　King
  of　Cappadocia　when　he　was　proconsul；　and　from　his　friends　at　Rome　when
  he　was　in　exile；　many　presents；　though　urged　to　receive　them；　has　been
  said　already。
  Moreover；　Demosthenes's　banishment　was　infamous；　upon　conviction　for
  bribery；　Cicero's　very　honourable；　for　ridding　his　country　of　a　set　of
  villains。　Therefore；　when　Demosthenes　fled　his　country；　no　man
  regarded　it；　for　Cicero's　sake　the　senate　changed　their　habit；　and　put
  on　mourning；　and　would　not　be　persuaded　to　make　any　act　before
  Cicero's　return　was　decreed。　Cicero；　however；　passed　his　exile　idly　in
  Macedonia。　But　the　very　exile　of　Demosthenes　made　up　a　great　part　of
  the　services　he　did　for　his　country；　for　he　went　through　the　cities　of
  Greece；　and　everywhere；　as　we　have　said；　joined　in　the　conflict　on
  behalf　of　the　Grecians；　driving　out　the　Macedonian　ambassadors；　and
  approving　himself　a　much　better　citizen　than　Themistocles　and
  Alcibiades　did　in　the　like　fortune。　And；　after　his　return；　he　again
  devoted　himself　to　the　same　public　service；　and　continued　firm　to
  his　opposition　to　Antipater　and　the　Macedonians。　Whereas　Laelius
  reproached　Cicero　in　the　senate　for　sitting　silent　when　Caesar；　a
  beardless　youth；　asked　leave　to　come　forward；　contrary　to　the　law；
  as　a　candidate　for　the　consulship；　and　Brutus；　in　his　epistles；
  charges　him　with　nursing　and　rearing　a　greater　and　more　heavy
  tyranny　than　that　they　had　removed。
  Finally；　Cicero's　death　excites　our　pity；　for　an　old　man　to　be
  miserably　carried　up　and　down　by　his　servants；　flying　and　hiding
  himself　from　that　death　which　was；　in　the　course　of　nature；　so　near　at
  hand；　and　yet　at　last　to　be　murdered。　Demosthenes；　though　he　seemed　at
  first　a　little　to　supplicate；　yet；　by　his　preparing　and　keeping　the
  poison　by　him；　demands　our　admiration；　and　still　more　admirable　was
  his　using　it。　When　the　temple　of　the　god　no　longer　afforded　him　a
  sanctuary；　he　took　refuge；　as　it　were；　at　a　mightier　altar；　freeing
  himself　from　arms　and　soldiers；　and　laughing　to　scorn　the　cruelty　of
  Antipater。
  THE　END